Show HN: CodeUpStart – Learn Python/Flask by Cloning Kickstarter | Hacker News Reader

Show HN: CodeUpStart – Learn Python/Flask by Cloning Kickstarter

codeupstart.com

95 pointsgilliant30 comments

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Just a little rant from me.

How's Flask holding up?

- No new version for 2.5 years.

- almost 1000 commits since then.

- More than half PR's are more than 6 months old.

- I heard documentation is lagging behind for the features implemented (?)

But it's still popular and recommended for beginners (many tutorials and such). I understand it's use for micro services, though what if your micro service or small app expands? AFAIK, plugin ecosystem is healthy, though do all plugins are ready if v1.0 would be released tomorrow? So all in all , personally, Flask looks in rather chaotic state.

I am just genuinely curious.

The original author (mitsuhiko) replies to that same concern here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Python/comments/3xi6o9/whats_the_fu...

icebraining has linked mitsuhiko's reply, but in addition to that...

>I understand it's use for micro services, though what if your micro service or small app expands?

Largely the point of microservices is they don't expand, you just create another one. Adding features just results in a huge monolith.

> - I heard documentation is lagging behind for the features implemented (?)

Development docs are here: http://flask.pocoo.org/docs/dev/

I think it is doing great.

Not a lot of features and versions like other frameworks but that's not exactly an objective measurement of the quality of the framework.

- We have used Flask recently at a very large media corporation to build a social network.

- I have also reviewed a book for Flask earlier and getting a lot of inquiries and requests regarding tutorials and video courses.

- Team Tree House added a full course on Flask (very good one).

Sadly, this is a total ripoff of Code 4 Startup: https://code4startup.com

Not just the same idea, or similar design.

Look at their projects!

It really bothers me that this is getting so much attention and that they're backed by 500 Startups, who didn't do their due diligence.

Based on code4startup this is a copy. https://twitter.com/Code4Startup/status/678340473614761984

What's weird is the founder/ceo of codeupstart used to work for code4startup.

Yes! I've been following the Code4Startup founder, Leo, since he first launched it. It's a great boostrapped story.

I was excited for him when he announced he added someone to help, then sad for him when she wasted no time stealing it and raising funding.

Shady.

November 30th, she's retweeting about Code 4 Startup: https://twitter.com/JoeMinock/status/671395288830107648

December 3rd, she's tweeting about CodeUpstart joining 500 Startups: https://twitter.com/CodeUpStart/status/672509204737822720

I think code4startup is also stole idea from http://www.codingfounders.com/ It does not matter in idea it is matter to execution. I hope codeupstartup will remain free so that many users and student can benefit from it.

This is not reflective of the truth. Having been added as a co-founder of Code4Startup for months, I incorporated the company, raised funds from 500, rebranded and redesigned the site, elicited project creators, helped turn on a subscription service for the company and the list goes on. I don't like to speak negatively about any one so I will leave it as ultimately because there was a breach of trust, the partnership ended.

I carried over only my work and what I was entitled to as a legal co-owner of the company, including my design work, only projects that Brandon (my first hire at my previous startup Rocketrip YCW14) and I worked on over to my new company that remain backed by 500 Startups because of the trust they placed in me.

Believe it or not, Brandon and I are in this for the mission to contribute to practical project-based learning for anyone to create real products and learn how to code, and from that perspective, your comments are hurtful. We hope our projects can benefit more people out there and it is our belief that more online schools that focus on creating real products like Udacity, Thinkster, Udemy, Watchandcode and so on should exist.

I apologize for the misunderstanding and thanks for the explanation.

But I hope you can understand how this misunderstanding would happen since it was never explained. From an outsiders perspective, I don't think the conclusion I came to was a stretch. You looked like the bad guy, and Leo looks like victim. I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Congrats on getting funding.

I don't want to be a downer here, but after looking at the curriculum, it doesn't seem like you handle key components of Kickstarter, such as handling payments or being able to message your backers in bulk.

These are features which make Kickstarter Kickstarter IMO. From the curriculum list, it looks like you basically teach people how to save a form that has a couple of fields to a database.

Is the curriculum still a WIP, or is this only 5% of the course where the rest will be behind a paywall?

No worries at all! This currently is a starter version and after validating demand we're hard at work now producing the full version with payments, pledges, etc. WIP. :)

This page refuses to load if you are blocking tracking web services. If you are using AdBlock or Ghostery, you will need to pause them, or at least disable blocking of Disqus. A tad weird, because the Disqus chat only shows up in the final tab of the entire page...

No issues here, using uBlock with default filters.

I use uBlock Origin and also block all cookies except an explicit whitelist.

It's a blank page for me.

I like tutorial but I'm personally not fond of videos. I would enjoy the tutorial if it was a simple html page or even a pdf.

Is it just me? Or most people prefer videos ?

I'm with you.

This is a great project idea! Cloning existing websites feels way more motivating than just typing away on interactive terminals. Looking forward to more projects.

The sad irony is this startup is a "clone" (rip off) of https://code4startup.com.

That is hurtful to say. While the two products are in a similar space, neither can claim to have a monopoly on internet-based tech education. Project-based learning like this is a goldmine for anyone looking to get into web dev. It makes sense to have a wide range of providers of such training.

While you're statement is true in a general sense, in this specific situation, CodeUpstart was founded by someone who worked for Code4Startup for only a few weeks.

I follow Leo on Twitter, and there's plenty of evidence.

Working together: https://twitter.com/gilliantee/status/659751559622885377

Not working together: https://twitter.com/eugeneteo/status/678373859838459904

A similar idea is fine, but this doesn't look like a coincidence.

Disagree. No one actually needs to build a Kickstarter clone. So it's a total throwaway project. Why not some sort of publishing, discussion, blogging, selling, analyzing, etc tool? Something that someone could actually use?

Yeah, just as others mentioned - content won't load if you have Ghostery on. Content is tied to Disqus which has to be loaded for content to be shown.

You should get a version of this on Udemy.com (can't be the exact same, due to their policies). Nothing wrong with a little passive income, eh?.

I'm just getting a page about something called "iron:router".

The site pages load for me, but not the linked-to page. Click the logo.

Looks broken to me?

Broken how? Works fine for me.

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